Izzy paced back and forth at the airport terminal, stopping every thirty seconds or so to check
either his watch, the flight status monitor, the sky outside the nearby window or the gate itself.
Inwardly he thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't a smoker, because he probably would've gone
through a few packs by now.
"Um, Izzy? You're starting to wear a groove in the floor. Not to mention attract attention." Yuki
said as she watched him pace.
"Has anyone heard a news report recently? How about the control tower, what do they know?"
Izzy asked back, worrying himself silly.
"Settle down, man, the plane will get here soon enough. It's not like the US is just around the
corner after all." Matt told him. "Remember, we did get here two hours early at your request."
Izzy looked out over the rest of the assembled DigiDestined. Tai sat between Davis and Yuki as
they talked about the soccer season. The team had only played 3 games so far, but were
undefeated in all their games, and the three were strategizing for the next game. Sora was
leaning against Matt, who was hugging her from behind as they stood against a support pillar.
Cody had his Gameboy with him, and was linked with Ken's as they played some competitive
game as TK ran back and forth watching both of their screens. Kari and Yolei sat facing the
gates that Mimi would be coming through, chatting away as two best friends usually did.
"You all didn't have to come, though. I just wanted to be early in case the plane was early." Izzy
replied. 'And so I could be the first one to see Mimi. Now I'll be lucky if she even notices I'm here
with everyone else here.' he added to himself in thought.
"Planes are rarely early, Izzy. If anything, it'll probably be a little late." Yolei told him. The
darkened look on Izzy's face that followed indicated to Yolei that her advice hadn't been very well
timed.
"Attention please... Flight 1290 from Minneapolis now arriving at Gate G8..." an announcement
over the PA system said. The announcement set everyone into motion, and soon enough they
were gathered along the wall facing the gate. Matt made it a point to make sure Izzy stood in
front on him, so he'd be more easily seen. Izzy frantically looked himself over, checking to make
sure he looked halfway decent.
"You look fine, Izzy, calm down!" Tai told him.
"I still think I should've dressed a bit nicer. I mean, I feel like a bum right now!" Izzy replied.
"This isn't the Academy Awards, Izzy, we're just waiting for our old friend Mimi to show up." Sora
reminded him.
Izzy acknowledged her words and worked on just breathing, trying to calm himself down. It was
just Mimi after all, who he'd chatted with almost every day on the Internet for the past six weeks.
The same Mimi whose personal crisis had become his own crisis as well. The same Mimi that he
was going to have a date with by the end of the week. Nothing major would probably happen,
after all. What would be any different with her in person?
************************************************
Mimi tapped her foot impatiently as the plane taxied towards the gates. Her seatbelt was already
undone, and she was silently cursing that the plane couldn't get to its gate any sooner. She
looked across the aisle at her parents, who were patiently waiting for the plane to stop.
"Mom? Dad? Mind if I try to get out ahead of you guys?" she asked.
"Anxious to see your friends again?" her father asked back. Mimi bit her lower lip a little, and
then just nodded, smiling. Her father laughed a bit to himself. "Alright, I see no harm in it."
"Thanks! I really appreciate it, dad." Mimi said, smiling. A few moments later the plane came to a
stop and the door opened, and Mimi made her move, climbing over a couple of seats to get
ahead. She was indeed anxious to get off the plane to see her friends, but one friend in
particular. And she had a surprise in store for that friend...
************************************************
Everyone began to cheer as they saw Mimi heading up the ramp way through the gate. She had
on a tight, pink t-shirt with an embroidered heart in the middle and black jeans with white sandals.
Her hair was its normal brown color, and was down at shoulder length. Everyone except Izzy
moved up to greet her, Yolei being first.
"Mimi, it's so good to see you again!" Yolei announced, hugging her friend and idol.
"Same here, Yolei. Say, could you excuse me for a sec?" Mimi asked politely. Yolei nodded and
stepped back a bit. Mimi walked on past her, waving to everyone as she did, and saying her
hellos. She finally spotted Izzy standing towards the back and walked on over to him, dropping
her duffel bag as she did. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw him, standing there being all
sheepish. He looked even better in person than the photo he'd scanned and sent her looked.
She continued right on over to him, her mind set on her task.
Izzy had never been more nervous in his life. Mimi looked so beautiful to him, and everything
he'd been planning to try and say to her went right out the window. He searched for his voice,
trying to say something, but could only stammer as she approached him.
"H-h-hi Mimi, how're..." Izzy started to say. Upon reaching him, Mimi brought her hand up and
put a finger to his lips, shushing him.
"Hi yourself." she said with a smile. She then pulled him close and kissed him, full on the lips.
Izzy felt like Tentomon had just sent a jolt straight through him, but quickly relaxed and returned
the kiss, his arms reaching around her to hold her closer. The rest of the group just watched, half
in awe, at the sight of the pair kissing in the middle of the terminal. The kiss lasted for about a
minute, and then Mimi finally released it, smiling at Izzy again.
"I've been waiting for six weeks to do that." she told him. She leaned in and gave him a quick
peck on the tip of his nose, and then walked back and grabbed her duffel bag. The rest of the
group shook off their dumbfounded ness and quickly moved back over to the two of them. The
guys walked over to Izzy, who looked to have a strange look of utter satisfaction on his face, not
to mention a smile that threatened to stretch completely around his head.
"Izzy? You in there?" Cody asked, waving his hand in front of Izzy's face.
"How're you feeling now?" Davis asked.
"Absolutely prodigious..." Izzy replied in a dreamy toned voice. Matt gave Izzy an encouraging
pat on the back, only to make room for Mimi who returned to Izzy's side, taking his hand in hers.
"Mom and dad will catch up with us at the baggage claim. Let's walk." she said. Izzy seemed to
spring back to life again and nodded to her.
"Oh, let me take that for you." he said, reaching over for her bag. Mimi released her grip on it,
letting Izzy carry it for her.
"How gentlemanly of you Izzy! Michael never even so much as held a door open for me when we
were dating." she said, her voice a bit bitter about her ex-boyfriend.
"The nerve of him!" Izzy said indignantly. As Izzy again began to fume over how Michael treated
her, Mimi switched a bit and hugged his arm instead of just holding his hand.
"Let's not talk about him anymore, 'kay?" she said, smiling at him.
"Talk about who anymore?" Izzy said, quickly moving on. Mimi giggled at his quick change.
"Precisely." she said. She continued to talk with Izzy as they headed for the baggage claim.
"So, that's your friend who moved to America?" Yuki asked Tai quietly as they followed along.
"Yeah, that's Mimi. She can seem a bit fickle, but she's always sincere about her feelings. She's
been a good friend to us all." Tai told her.
"With how she's acting around Izzy I almost feel bad that we're coming along with them."
"Oh, they worked that out already. They're going out a second time the following night, on their
own though."
"Wow... they must've really hit it off well."
"Yeah. Makes me almost curious what they've been chatting about online."
Yuki nodded in agreement for a moment, only to shudder a moment later simultaneously with Tai
as their minds quickly had hit the gutters. Some things were best left unknown.
The group headed down to baggage claim and mixed in with all the other folks waiting for their
luggage. Soon after, Mimi's folks caught up with them and they all said their hellos to the
Tachikawas. Izzy, in particular, did his best to make a good impression, though Mimi's parents
already seemed to have a good opinion of him. They gathered their bags and then headed out to
hail a taxi.
"Well, I have to go for now so we can get to our hotel." Mimi told everyone in. "We'll hang out
more tomorrow, guys."
"Good to have you back for a while, Mimi! We're all looking forward to getting together again."
Yolei told her. Mimi smiled and gave Yolei one of her trademark peace signs, which Yolei
returned in like.
"See you later, Mimi." Izzy said with a smile.
"Where do you think you're going? Aren't you coming with us to dinner, Izzy?" Mimi asked. Izzy
suddenly felt the blood drain away from his face.
"You mean... with you family... and all?"
"Of course, silly! Now come on, or are you going to abandon your gentlemanly ways and make a
girl carry her own bags to her room?"
Izzy had a sudden sinking feeling at the thought of having a meal with Mimi's folks and all it
meant, though seeing the smile on Mimi's face helped hi
which he returned as well before hopping into the cab next to Mimi. The group watched the taxi
zoom away before heading back through the airport for the train station.
The ride to the hotel was a little tense for Izzy. Mimi's father was in the front seat with the cab
driver, and her mother was on her other side. Izzy did his best to scrunch himself into as small a
space as he could occupy, not wanting to seem too forward with their daughter. Mimi, for her
part, certainly wasn't worried about it and when the opportunity presented itself, she reached over
to him, placing her hand on his and squeezing a bit. Izzy looked over at her, and she smiled at
him, as if to reassure him that everything would be fine. Izzy relaxed a little bit, turning his hand
over to hold hers in return, and quietly enjoyed the remainder of the ride to the hotel.
************************************************
Dinner with the Tachikawas went pretty well. Izzy still came across a bit nervous and flustered,
he thought, but there were no disasters and that's what he'd been shooting for. After dinner,
Mimi's parents let her stay with Izzy for a while as they headed up to their room.
"Remember, Mimi, not too much later. You need some sleep, you hardly slept on the plane
over." her father told her.
"I'll be up in a little while, dad. G'night!" Mimi replied, waving to her parents. As they headed up
to their room, she and Izzy headed out of the hotel and walked around the small park that was
part of the hotel's grounds. It was simple enough, but it did have a few trees, some nice flowers
and a small fountain. Mimi's hand found Izzy's again as they walked.
"So how's America these days?" Izzy asked, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Just fine, all things considering. Izzy, you don't need to worry. My folks are probably fast asleep
by now, and no one else is out here." she told him, squeezing his hand a little more.
"I know." he said, stopping and turning to face her. "It's like a dream come true for me, you
know? I mean, I never would have thought I could possibly be this lucky, to be able to see you
again and all."
"Luck had nothing to do with it, Izzy. This was all meant to happen, I'm sure of it."
"If that's the case, then I hope you don't mind this. It just seems like I can't help myself, so maybe
that means this was meant to happen too."
Izzy stepped closer to her and took her into his arms, reveling for a moment in the pure simple
pleasure of holding her. Mimi, for her part, draped her arms over his shoulders. Her eyes
seemed to shimmer to him in the dim light of the park. Izzy leaned in close, his lips touching hers
in a kiss he'd been dreaming of for too long. Mimi welcomed the kiss, returning it with great
fervor. Her hands ran through his short hair, and she moaned softly as she felt his hands run up
and down her back. Mimi decided to be a little more daring, and she pushed her tongue past his
lips. Izzy was surprised at first, but quickly picked up on what she was doing and did his best to
emulate her actions, their kisses quickly becoming more passionate. Mimi moaned a bit more,
pressing herself close up against Izzy. Izzy likewise moaned a bit, feeling some of the curves of
her body as she pressed up against him. After a couple of minutes, Mimi began to slow her
kisses down. Izzy picked up on this and slowed down as well, until they kissed one more time
and then parted, both of them catching their breath. Both of their faces were flushed with color.
They gazed wordlessly into each other's eyes for a bit, reveling in their closeness.
"Mimi...that was incredible...I've never felt, or done, anything like that...!" Izzy said as he tried to
catch his breath.
"See what you miss out on sitting behind that computer all day?" Mimi replied, smiling at him.
"And there's more where that came from, I promise."
"Could I just...hold you for a little while longer, Mimi?"
"I'd like nothing more."
Izzy closed his eyes as Mimi rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair had a hint of lilac in it,
which he found to be extremely pleasant. Mimi found him to be extremely warm and just enjoyed
the closeness.
"I'm glad you're here, Mimi. I can only hope this week doesn't go by too fast." Izzy finally said
after several moments. Mimi looked up at him and smiled, stroking his cheek gently.
"Iz...no, I can't keep calling you that. Koushiro..." she said in an affectionate tone. "I think this
week will be memorable for the both of us, my knight. My Koushiro."
****************************************************
The next day was a school day, and at lunch this time Izzy came to the table as well, joining the
others once again. Needless to say, everyone was a bit surprised that he wasn't spending his
lunch in the computer lab again.
"I couldn't stay sitting in front of a computer screen. It just wasn't accomplishing anything today."
he said, explaining himself as he took a bit out of his apple.
"Last night must've gone pretty well at dinner, then." Matt said, looking down the table at him. "I
don't remember a time when you were in such good spirits and it didn't have something to do with
a computer, Izzy."
"I tell you, I can't wait for the long weekend coming up here. That's not to say that I won't be
spending all of my free time with Mimi anyways, but just especially this weekend. How about you
guys, Tai?"
"Oh, yeah! Absolutely!" Tai said after a moment. He'd been eating silently and trading looks with
Yuki throughout lunch.
"Me too, Izzy. I'll be glad to get out of the house for a while this Friday." Yuki added as she ate a
french fry. The other three at the table had an inkling of what was going on between the two and
just went about the rest of lunch normally.
"Oh, Mimi did want me to tell you guys that she did want to go dancing when we go out. She said
something about making sure you had clothes for going to a club of some kind or another. She's
already helping me out and said she'd be more than happy to help you as well."
"I think I'll be good, I have a couple of things I could wear." Yuki said, mentally going through her
wardrobe.
"I doubt I have anything like that. My clothes consist of..." Tai began to say.
"Please, Tai, I just finished my lunch and the last thing I need is visions of your wardrobe." Matt
said, interrupting him.
"Oh, go jump off a bridge Matt." Tai said, not wanting to swear at the lunch table.
"Well, you should come with Mimi and me tomorrow night then, Tai." Izzy told him.
"I think I'd like to tag along for that as well, if you don't mind. It's been a while since I had a
chance to go shopping last." Yuki added.
Izzy thanked his lucky stars inwardly, as he was at least a little worried about shopping with Mimi
alone. Now at least he wouldn't be going it alone.
************************************************
Izzy wavered a bit as he hung onto one of the bars on the bus. It was late, he was tired and had
school tomorrow, and he'd just finished shopping with Mimi, Tai and Yuki for new clothes to wear
to the club they were going to Friday night.
"You sure you wouldn't rather sit, Koushiro?" Mimi asked. "I can stand just fine."
"I'm fine, Mimi, really. Just a little tired is all. It's been a long day." Izzy said, shaking off the
cobwebs a bit.
"You didn't need to push yourself for my sake, you know."
Izzy looked down at Mimi and smiled warmly.
"For you, dear lady, I would cross a lake of fire just to bring you one single, perfect flower to
adorn your head." he said in a mock gallant tone. Mimi giggled at him, acting like his EverQuest
character would and played along a bit.
"I would hate to trouble you so, my knight." she said coyly.
"'Twould not be a trouble if it would mean I could bring another smile to your beautiful face." Izzy
said as he went down on one knee, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "And I mean it, too,
Mimi."
"Oh Koushiro...you are such a sweet thing, you know?" Mimi said, blushing a bit at the treatment
he was giving her. Izzy smiled at her and rose back to his feet as they continued on their way to
the hotel. The two disembarked the bus upon arriving, and Izzy saw Mimi in to her elevator.
"Well, I gotta buzz for now, Mimi. What do you want to do tomorrow? I'm open to ideas." he said
as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"I'd kinda like to do something you'd like to do, you know? It doesn't have to be anything special,
I'd just like to see what your day is kinda like you know?" she said, leaning against the wall near
the elevator.
"My day? Heh, kinda boring subject isn't it?"
"Even if it is, I don't want this entire week to revolve around just me, Koushiro. With Michael I had
a one-sided relationship more or less, and I don't want that to happen again. You're just as
important and just as much a part of 'us' as I am."
"Well, then...sometimes I stop by a game center on my way home from school for kicks. We
could stop by there for a bit and then head back to my place for dinner. I'm sure my folks would
love the company."
"Sounds fine to me. Now come here so I can bid you a proper 'good night'..."
Izzy smiled and walked over to her. He leaned against the wall she was leaning against, placing
a hand at her side. Mimi smiled up at him, bringing her hand up to caress his face a bit as she
drew him close and kissed him, her tongue immediately seeking out and finding his. She could
feel his hand at her side and smiled inwardly, seeing that he was willing to be a little more daring
around her. Still, it wasn't quite enough for her. She wanted to start sending her signals out to
him of what the week truly held in store for him, so she decided to help things on a little. She
trailed her hand down from his face along his arm until it reached his wrist. She grabbed hold of it
and slid his hand around her and down a little until it rested on her rear. She uttered a moan
through their kisses at the contact and squeezed his palm a bit, getting him to squeeze her a little.
Izzy's heart rate jumped at her actions, but he wasn't stupid enough to argue or resist. For that
matter, he was reveling in all of the feelings and sensations that were being brought out in him.
Every time he was around her it was like something in him that had been long frozen began to
thaw and melt. It was a feeling he was getting quickly addicted to, and he couldn't get enough of
it or her. He continued to kiss her deeply, caressing her rear as he did. He felt her reach down
and start to do the same to him and almost jumped a little, but was too caught up in the heat of
the moment to care how they looked.
They broke off their kisses a short while later, and Mimi smiled at Izzy approvingly. Izzy looked to
still be in a daze of sorts, but managed a smile back.
"You're learning quickly, Kou-chan. That was even more enjoyable than last night's." she said.
"So I'm 'Kou-chan' now?" Izzy asked, smirking a bit.
"Sorry. I can't stand calling you 'Izzy' anymore, it's just not right to me. And I know it must be
weird for me to use your full name all the time, so I made up a pet name for you. If you don't like
it I can..."
"No, no, that's fine. It can be what you call me, but only when it's just you and me. Around the
others, just stick to 'Izzy'. Even if you don't like it, I'm pretty used to it by now."
"Sounds like a fair trade. Well then, I'll meet up with you after school tomorrow then?"
"Sure thing. I'll watch for you."
"Okay, good night, my Kou-chan."
Mimi kissed him one more time before pressing the button for her elevator.
"Sleep tight, Mimi-chan." Izzy said, smiling at her. Mimi waved a little to him and stepped into her
elevator as it arrived. Izzy sighed contentedly and headed out of the hotel for the nearest subway
to get home, already thinking about how to handle dinner tomorrow since Mimi was now coming
over. As he rode the subway back home, his thoughts turned to how things had progressed since
Mimi's arrival.
'Man... first she kisses me right off of the plane, then we started kissing in the park last night, and
tonight we practically started making out in the hotel lobby! I hope none of this is going too fast
for her. Maybe we'll just take it easy tomorrow night. I'll put in a movie and we can relax and
watch that for a while. Yeah, that'll be nice, especially since my folks always turn in early. Just
the two of us and a good movie.' he thought as he watched the lights pass by.
'But I gotta say, I sure am enjoying all of this. Maybe Mimi's right...maybe I should get out a bit
more often. I've hardly touched a computer all week so far since she's been here, and I'm having
the time of my life. I wish this didn't have to end. But, best not to get greedy. I'll enjoy what I
have while I have it, and we'll work out the details later I guess.'
Izzy turned to reminiscing about Mimi and the past couple of days as the subway train spirited
him back home. He had never been happier in his entire life, and he could only wish it would go
on and on.
either his watch, the flight status monitor, the sky outside the nearby window or the gate itself.
Inwardly he thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't a smoker, because he probably would've gone
through a few packs by now.
"Um, Izzy? You're starting to wear a groove in the floor. Not to mention attract attention." Yuki
said as she watched him pace.
"Has anyone heard a news report recently? How about the control tower, what do they know?"
Izzy asked back, worrying himself silly.
"Settle down, man, the plane will get here soon enough. It's not like the US is just around the
corner after all." Matt told him. "Remember, we did get here two hours early at your request."
Izzy looked out over the rest of the assembled DigiDestined. Tai sat between Davis and Yuki as
they talked about the soccer season. The team had only played 3 games so far, but were
undefeated in all their games, and the three were strategizing for the next game. Sora was
leaning against Matt, who was hugging her from behind as they stood against a support pillar.
Cody had his Gameboy with him, and was linked with Ken's as they played some competitive
game as TK ran back and forth watching both of their screens. Kari and Yolei sat facing the
gates that Mimi would be coming through, chatting away as two best friends usually did.
"You all didn't have to come, though. I just wanted to be early in case the plane was early." Izzy
replied. 'And so I could be the first one to see Mimi. Now I'll be lucky if she even notices I'm here
with everyone else here.' he added to himself in thought.
"Planes are rarely early, Izzy. If anything, it'll probably be a little late." Yolei told him. The
darkened look on Izzy's face that followed indicated to Yolei that her advice hadn't been very well
timed.
"Attention please... Flight 1290 from Minneapolis now arriving at Gate G8..." an announcement
over the PA system said. The announcement set everyone into motion, and soon enough they
were gathered along the wall facing the gate. Matt made it a point to make sure Izzy stood in
front on him, so he'd be more easily seen. Izzy frantically looked himself over, checking to make
sure he looked halfway decent.
"You look fine, Izzy, calm down!" Tai told him.
"I still think I should've dressed a bit nicer. I mean, I feel like a bum right now!" Izzy replied.
"This isn't the Academy Awards, Izzy, we're just waiting for our old friend Mimi to show up." Sora
reminded him.
Izzy acknowledged her words and worked on just breathing, trying to calm himself down. It was
just Mimi after all, who he'd chatted with almost every day on the Internet for the past six weeks.
The same Mimi whose personal crisis had become his own crisis as well. The same Mimi that he
was going to have a date with by the end of the week. Nothing major would probably happen,
after all. What would be any different with her in person?
************************************************
Mimi tapped her foot impatiently as the plane taxied towards the gates. Her seatbelt was already
undone, and she was silently cursing that the plane couldn't get to its gate any sooner. She
looked across the aisle at her parents, who were patiently waiting for the plane to stop.
"Mom? Dad? Mind if I try to get out ahead of you guys?" she asked.
"Anxious to see your friends again?" her father asked back. Mimi bit her lower lip a little, and
then just nodded, smiling. Her father laughed a bit to himself. "Alright, I see no harm in it."
"Thanks! I really appreciate it, dad." Mimi said, smiling. A few moments later the plane came to a
stop and the door opened, and Mimi made her move, climbing over a couple of seats to get
ahead. She was indeed anxious to get off the plane to see her friends, but one friend in
particular. And she had a surprise in store for that friend...
************************************************
Everyone began to cheer as they saw Mimi heading up the ramp way through the gate. She had
on a tight, pink t-shirt with an embroidered heart in the middle and black jeans with white sandals.
Her hair was its normal brown color, and was down at shoulder length. Everyone except Izzy
moved up to greet her, Yolei being first.
"Mimi, it's so good to see you again!" Yolei announced, hugging her friend and idol.
"Same here, Yolei. Say, could you excuse me for a sec?" Mimi asked politely. Yolei nodded and
stepped back a bit. Mimi walked on past her, waving to everyone as she did, and saying her
hellos. She finally spotted Izzy standing towards the back and walked on over to him, dropping
her duffel bag as she did. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw him, standing there being all
sheepish. He looked even better in person than the photo he'd scanned and sent her looked.
She continued right on over to him, her mind set on her task.
Izzy had never been more nervous in his life. Mimi looked so beautiful to him, and everything
he'd been planning to try and say to her went right out the window. He searched for his voice,
trying to say something, but could only stammer as she approached him.
"H-h-hi Mimi, how're..." Izzy started to say. Upon reaching him, Mimi brought her hand up and
put a finger to his lips, shushing him.
"Hi yourself." she said with a smile. She then pulled him close and kissed him, full on the lips.
Izzy felt like Tentomon had just sent a jolt straight through him, but quickly relaxed and returned
the kiss, his arms reaching around her to hold her closer. The rest of the group just watched, half
in awe, at the sight of the pair kissing in the middle of the terminal. The kiss lasted for about a
minute, and then Mimi finally released it, smiling at Izzy again.
"I've been waiting for six weeks to do that." she told him. She leaned in and gave him a quick
peck on the tip of his nose, and then walked back and grabbed her duffel bag. The rest of the
group shook off their dumbfounded ness and quickly moved back over to the two of them. The
guys walked over to Izzy, who looked to have a strange look of utter satisfaction on his face, not
to mention a smile that threatened to stretch completely around his head.
"Izzy? You in there?" Cody asked, waving his hand in front of Izzy's face.
"How're you feeling now?" Davis asked.
"Absolutely prodigious..." Izzy replied in a dreamy toned voice. Matt gave Izzy an encouraging
pat on the back, only to make room for Mimi who returned to Izzy's side, taking his hand in hers.
"Mom and dad will catch up with us at the baggage claim. Let's walk." she said. Izzy seemed to
spring back to life again and nodded to her.
"Oh, let me take that for you." he said, reaching over for her bag. Mimi released her grip on it,
letting Izzy carry it for her.
"How gentlemanly of you Izzy! Michael never even so much as held a door open for me when we
were dating." she said, her voice a bit bitter about her ex-boyfriend.
"The nerve of him!" Izzy said indignantly. As Izzy again began to fume over how Michael treated
her, Mimi switched a bit and hugged his arm instead of just holding his hand.
"Let's not talk about him anymore, 'kay?" she said, smiling at him.
"Talk about who anymore?" Izzy said, quickly moving on. Mimi giggled at his quick change.
"Precisely." she said. She continued to talk with Izzy as they headed for the baggage claim.
"So, that's your friend who moved to America?" Yuki asked Tai quietly as they followed along.
"Yeah, that's Mimi. She can seem a bit fickle, but she's always sincere about her feelings. She's
been a good friend to us all." Tai told her.
"With how she's acting around Izzy I almost feel bad that we're coming along with them."
"Oh, they worked that out already. They're going out a second time the following night, on their
own though."
"Wow... they must've really hit it off well."
"Yeah. Makes me almost curious what they've been chatting about online."
Yuki nodded in agreement for a moment, only to shudder a moment later simultaneously with Tai
as their minds quickly had hit the gutters. Some things were best left unknown.
The group headed down to baggage claim and mixed in with all the other folks waiting for their
luggage. Soon after, Mimi's folks caught up with them and they all said their hellos to the
Tachikawas. Izzy, in particular, did his best to make a good impression, though Mimi's parents
already seemed to have a good opinion of him. They gathered their bags and then headed out to
hail a taxi.
"Well, I have to go for now so we can get to our hotel." Mimi told everyone in. "We'll hang out
more tomorrow, guys."
"Good to have you back for a while, Mimi! We're all looking forward to getting together again."
Yolei told her. Mimi smiled and gave Yolei one of her trademark peace signs, which Yolei
returned in like.
"See you later, Mimi." Izzy said with a smile.
"Where do you think you're going? Aren't you coming with us to dinner, Izzy?" Mimi asked. Izzy
suddenly felt the blood drain away from his face.
"You mean... with you family... and all?"
"Of course, silly! Now come on, or are you going to abandon your gentlemanly ways and make a
girl carry her own bags to her room?"
Izzy had a sudden sinking feeling at the thought of having a meal with Mimi's folks and all it
meant, though seeing the smile on Mimi's face helped hi
which he returned as well before hopping into the cab next to Mimi. The group watched the taxi
zoom away before heading back through the airport for the train station.
The ride to the hotel was a little tense for Izzy. Mimi's father was in the front seat with the cab
driver, and her mother was on her other side. Izzy did his best to scrunch himself into as small a
space as he could occupy, not wanting to seem too forward with their daughter. Mimi, for her
part, certainly wasn't worried about it and when the opportunity presented itself, she reached over
to him, placing her hand on his and squeezing a bit. Izzy looked over at her, and she smiled at
him, as if to reassure him that everything would be fine. Izzy relaxed a little bit, turning his hand
over to hold hers in return, and quietly enjoyed the remainder of the ride to the hotel.
************************************************
Dinner with the Tachikawas went pretty well. Izzy still came across a bit nervous and flustered,
he thought, but there were no disasters and that's what he'd been shooting for. After dinner,
Mimi's parents let her stay with Izzy for a while as they headed up to their room.
"Remember, Mimi, not too much later. You need some sleep, you hardly slept on the plane
over." her father told her.
"I'll be up in a little while, dad. G'night!" Mimi replied, waving to her parents. As they headed up
to their room, she and Izzy headed out of the hotel and walked around the small park that was
part of the hotel's grounds. It was simple enough, but it did have a few trees, some nice flowers
and a small fountain. Mimi's hand found Izzy's again as they walked.
"So how's America these days?" Izzy asked, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Just fine, all things considering. Izzy, you don't need to worry. My folks are probably fast asleep
by now, and no one else is out here." she told him, squeezing his hand a little more.
"I know." he said, stopping and turning to face her. "It's like a dream come true for me, you
know? I mean, I never would have thought I could possibly be this lucky, to be able to see you
again and all."
"Luck had nothing to do with it, Izzy. This was all meant to happen, I'm sure of it."
"If that's the case, then I hope you don't mind this. It just seems like I can't help myself, so maybe
that means this was meant to happen too."
Izzy stepped closer to her and took her into his arms, reveling for a moment in the pure simple
pleasure of holding her. Mimi, for her part, draped her arms over his shoulders. Her eyes
seemed to shimmer to him in the dim light of the park. Izzy leaned in close, his lips touching hers
in a kiss he'd been dreaming of for too long. Mimi welcomed the kiss, returning it with great
fervor. Her hands ran through his short hair, and she moaned softly as she felt his hands run up
and down her back. Mimi decided to be a little more daring, and she pushed her tongue past his
lips. Izzy was surprised at first, but quickly picked up on what she was doing and did his best to
emulate her actions, their kisses quickly becoming more passionate. Mimi moaned a bit more,
pressing herself close up against Izzy. Izzy likewise moaned a bit, feeling some of the curves of
her body as she pressed up against him. After a couple of minutes, Mimi began to slow her
kisses down. Izzy picked up on this and slowed down as well, until they kissed one more time
and then parted, both of them catching their breath. Both of their faces were flushed with color.
They gazed wordlessly into each other's eyes for a bit, reveling in their closeness.
"Mimi...that was incredible...I've never felt, or done, anything like that...!" Izzy said as he tried to
catch his breath.
"See what you miss out on sitting behind that computer all day?" Mimi replied, smiling at him.
"And there's more where that came from, I promise."
"Could I just...hold you for a little while longer, Mimi?"
"I'd like nothing more."
Izzy closed his eyes as Mimi rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair had a hint of lilac in it,
which he found to be extremely pleasant. Mimi found him to be extremely warm and just enjoyed
the closeness.
"I'm glad you're here, Mimi. I can only hope this week doesn't go by too fast." Izzy finally said
after several moments. Mimi looked up at him and smiled, stroking his cheek gently.
"Iz...no, I can't keep calling you that. Koushiro..." she said in an affectionate tone. "I think this
week will be memorable for the both of us, my knight. My Koushiro."
****************************************************
The next day was a school day, and at lunch this time Izzy came to the table as well, joining the
others once again. Needless to say, everyone was a bit surprised that he wasn't spending his
lunch in the computer lab again.
"I couldn't stay sitting in front of a computer screen. It just wasn't accomplishing anything today."
he said, explaining himself as he took a bit out of his apple.
"Last night must've gone pretty well at dinner, then." Matt said, looking down the table at him. "I
don't remember a time when you were in such good spirits and it didn't have something to do with
a computer, Izzy."
"I tell you, I can't wait for the long weekend coming up here. That's not to say that I won't be
spending all of my free time with Mimi anyways, but just especially this weekend. How about you
guys, Tai?"
"Oh, yeah! Absolutely!" Tai said after a moment. He'd been eating silently and trading looks with
Yuki throughout lunch.
"Me too, Izzy. I'll be glad to get out of the house for a while this Friday." Yuki added as she ate a
french fry. The other three at the table had an inkling of what was going on between the two and
just went about the rest of lunch normally.
"Oh, Mimi did want me to tell you guys that she did want to go dancing when we go out. She said
something about making sure you had clothes for going to a club of some kind or another. She's
already helping me out and said she'd be more than happy to help you as well."
"I think I'll be good, I have a couple of things I could wear." Yuki said, mentally going through her
wardrobe.
"I doubt I have anything like that. My clothes consist of..." Tai began to say.
"Please, Tai, I just finished my lunch and the last thing I need is visions of your wardrobe." Matt
said, interrupting him.
"Oh, go jump off a bridge Matt." Tai said, not wanting to swear at the lunch table.
"Well, you should come with Mimi and me tomorrow night then, Tai." Izzy told him.
"I think I'd like to tag along for that as well, if you don't mind. It's been a while since I had a
chance to go shopping last." Yuki added.
Izzy thanked his lucky stars inwardly, as he was at least a little worried about shopping with Mimi
alone. Now at least he wouldn't be going it alone.
************************************************
Izzy wavered a bit as he hung onto one of the bars on the bus. It was late, he was tired and had
school tomorrow, and he'd just finished shopping with Mimi, Tai and Yuki for new clothes to wear
to the club they were going to Friday night.
"You sure you wouldn't rather sit, Koushiro?" Mimi asked. "I can stand just fine."
"I'm fine, Mimi, really. Just a little tired is all. It's been a long day." Izzy said, shaking off the
cobwebs a bit.
"You didn't need to push yourself for my sake, you know."
Izzy looked down at Mimi and smiled warmly.
"For you, dear lady, I would cross a lake of fire just to bring you one single, perfect flower to
adorn your head." he said in a mock gallant tone. Mimi giggled at him, acting like his EverQuest
character would and played along a bit.
"I would hate to trouble you so, my knight." she said coyly.
"'Twould not be a trouble if it would mean I could bring another smile to your beautiful face." Izzy
said as he went down on one knee, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "And I mean it, too,
Mimi."
"Oh Koushiro...you are such a sweet thing, you know?" Mimi said, blushing a bit at the treatment
he was giving her. Izzy smiled at her and rose back to his feet as they continued on their way to
the hotel. The two disembarked the bus upon arriving, and Izzy saw Mimi in to her elevator.
"Well, I gotta buzz for now, Mimi. What do you want to do tomorrow? I'm open to ideas." he said
as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"I'd kinda like to do something you'd like to do, you know? It doesn't have to be anything special,
I'd just like to see what your day is kinda like you know?" she said, leaning against the wall near
the elevator.
"My day? Heh, kinda boring subject isn't it?"
"Even if it is, I don't want this entire week to revolve around just me, Koushiro. With Michael I had
a one-sided relationship more or less, and I don't want that to happen again. You're just as
important and just as much a part of 'us' as I am."
"Well, then...sometimes I stop by a game center on my way home from school for kicks. We
could stop by there for a bit and then head back to my place for dinner. I'm sure my folks would
love the company."
"Sounds fine to me. Now come here so I can bid you a proper 'good night'..."
Izzy smiled and walked over to her. He leaned against the wall she was leaning against, placing
a hand at her side. Mimi smiled up at him, bringing her hand up to caress his face a bit as she
drew him close and kissed him, her tongue immediately seeking out and finding his. She could
feel his hand at her side and smiled inwardly, seeing that he was willing to be a little more daring
around her. Still, it wasn't quite enough for her. She wanted to start sending her signals out to
him of what the week truly held in store for him, so she decided to help things on a little. She
trailed her hand down from his face along his arm until it reached his wrist. She grabbed hold of it
and slid his hand around her and down a little until it rested on her rear. She uttered a moan
through their kisses at the contact and squeezed his palm a bit, getting him to squeeze her a little.
Izzy's heart rate jumped at her actions, but he wasn't stupid enough to argue or resist. For that
matter, he was reveling in all of the feelings and sensations that were being brought out in him.
Every time he was around her it was like something in him that had been long frozen began to
thaw and melt. It was a feeling he was getting quickly addicted to, and he couldn't get enough of
it or her. He continued to kiss her deeply, caressing her rear as he did. He felt her reach down
and start to do the same to him and almost jumped a little, but was too caught up in the heat of
the moment to care how they looked.
They broke off their kisses a short while later, and Mimi smiled at Izzy approvingly. Izzy looked to
still be in a daze of sorts, but managed a smile back.
"You're learning quickly, Kou-chan. That was even more enjoyable than last night's." she said.
"So I'm 'Kou-chan' now?" Izzy asked, smirking a bit.
"Sorry. I can't stand calling you 'Izzy' anymore, it's just not right to me. And I know it must be
weird for me to use your full name all the time, so I made up a pet name for you. If you don't like
it I can..."
"No, no, that's fine. It can be what you call me, but only when it's just you and me. Around the
others, just stick to 'Izzy'. Even if you don't like it, I'm pretty used to it by now."
"Sounds like a fair trade. Well then, I'll meet up with you after school tomorrow then?"
"Sure thing. I'll watch for you."
"Okay, good night, my Kou-chan."
Mimi kissed him one more time before pressing the button for her elevator.
"Sleep tight, Mimi-chan." Izzy said, smiling at her. Mimi waved a little to him and stepped into her
elevator as it arrived. Izzy sighed contentedly and headed out of the hotel for the nearest subway
to get home, already thinking about how to handle dinner tomorrow since Mimi was now coming
over. As he rode the subway back home, his thoughts turned to how things had progressed since
Mimi's arrival.
'Man... first she kisses me right off of the plane, then we started kissing in the park last night, and
tonight we practically started making out in the hotel lobby! I hope none of this is going too fast
for her. Maybe we'll just take it easy tomorrow night. I'll put in a movie and we can relax and
watch that for a while. Yeah, that'll be nice, especially since my folks always turn in early. Just
the two of us and a good movie.' he thought as he watched the lights pass by.
'But I gotta say, I sure am enjoying all of this. Maybe Mimi's right...maybe I should get out a bit
more often. I've hardly touched a computer all week so far since she's been here, and I'm having
the time of my life. I wish this didn't have to end. But, best not to get greedy. I'll enjoy what I
have while I have it, and we'll work out the details later I guess.'
Izzy turned to reminiscing about Mimi and the past couple of days as the subway train spirited
him back home. He had never been happier in his entire life, and he could only wish it would go
on and on.